FIFA insist they won’t investigate new BBC claims

New signing: David Beckham boards his flight from Heathrow to Zurich today, where he will take part in the final 48 hours of lobbying

FIFA today dismissed allegations made by the BBC against three executive committee members and insisted the matters had already been investigated by Swiss authorities.

Last night's Panorama programme claimed to have new evidence over the governing body's appointment of International Sports and Leisure as their marketing arm.

ISL went bankrupt in 2001 and Panorama said they had paid bribes to FIFA members Ricardo Teixeira, of Brazil, Confederation of African Football chief Issa Hayatou and South American head Nicolas Leoz to win the lucrative contract.

"The matters concerning the case which are referred to date back many years ago and were investigated by the relevant authorities in Switzerland," FIFA said in a statement today and added that a criminal case in the Swiss Canton of Zug had not resulted in convictions for any of their officials.

"It is therefore important to stress again that no FIFA officials were accused of any criminal offence," the statement went on to say. "The decision was made on matters which took place prior to

the year 2000 and there has been no court conviction against FIFA. The investigation and the case are closed."

The vote for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups takes place in Zurich on Thursday and the fear among the 2018 England bid team is that the Panorama claims — which also included allegations about CONCACAF chief Jack Warner, a known supporter of England — have damaged their hopes of winning.

David Beckham, David Cameron, who was due to meet FIFA president Sepp Blatter this afternoon, and Prince

William all flew out to Switzerland today in order to take part in the final 48 hours of lobbying of the 23 men who will vote.

Warner, who will also meet the Prime Minister, was accused by Panorama of setting up a deal — which later collapsed — to sell World Cup tickets in South Africa on the black market. The FIFA vice-president today brushed aside the programme and said: "I have no interest in this matter . . . now or ever."

But the International Olympic Committee announced they would investigate allegations against Hayatou — an IOC member — who was accused of receiving a £10,000 bribe from ISL in 1995.

The IOC said in a statement: "The IOC have taken note of the allegations made by Panorama and will ask the programme makers to pass on any evidence they may have to the appropriate authorities. The IOC have a zero tolerance against corruption and will refer the matter to the IOC ethics commission."